I've
been backpacking for 45 years on and off, and regularly in the Rockies since
1986.I do a weeklong trip every summer,
and often take three-day trips.I'm
usually camping in alpine terrain, at altitudes 5000 to 13000 ft (1500 - 4000
m). I prefer base camp backpacking, a long hike in with day trips from camp,
but I do my share of forced marches too.Though always looking for ways to reduce weight, I'm not yet a
lightweight hiker, and I usually choose a bit of extra weight over foregoing
camp conveniences I've come to expect.

Information
Pertinent to this Test.I'm also an avid telemark and Alpine skier,
at resorts and in the backcountry.Most
of my in-bounds skiing is done at areas that encourage my if-I
can-see-it-I-can-ski-it philosophy  patrolled terrain requiring traverses, boot
packs, or hikes for the better runs, off-piste skiing easily accessible from
the resort, or a combination of these.Even in-bounds I usually ski with a beacon, shovel, and pack and
regularly climb and traverse for desired runs.Ski touring, in telemark skis and boots, is my preferred winter
"hiking" mode.

Initial Report
October 21, 2007

A CUSTOM SKI PACK, DESIGNED BY ME

Manufacturer:
R2 PacksWebsite: www.r2packs.com.All quotations in this report come from this
website.MSRP: The price of a pack depends on
the agreed design of the pack ordered.It appears from the Design Proposal, discussed below, that each size
pack and component has a list price, but these are not set out on R2's
website.R2 does state that
"The average pack will be in the $250-350 [US] range."

R2's
motto is "custom packs, designed by you."Over many years I've worked with many custom shops,
for gear and clothing, but this is the first one I can remember that didn't
start the customer with assorted base models to which available options are
added or modifications made.R2
starts from scratch, based upon what its customer desires.Ron Rod, R2's founder and
principal, wants to hear in the customer's own words what activities the pack
will be used for, why the customer is looking for something new, what aspects
of other packs the customer likes or dislikes and why, and similar details.The website does list numerous options for
size, fabrics, and primary and secondary choices (some with sub-options) for
pack style (top or panel loader), pack top, front panel, side panels, and hip
belt.But these are neither a punch list
nor everything that's available; they're not even all that R2 needs
to get started building a pack.That
process starts with the customer.

An
interested customer who visits R2's "design lab" may
proceed in one of four ways.He or she
provides a torso measurement (from the top vertebra to the top of the iliac
crest) and then may:

·Design
by feature, by completing and
submitting a "Feature Survey" questionnaire.The customer checks boxes corresponding to
various options and answering some general questions about expected use, such
as "What activities do you plan to use this pack for most?"

·Use
one of three templates on the site, Resort
Skiing Pack, Backcountry Skiing Pack, or Ultralight Backpacking Weekend Pack,
and then design by feature.This is
similar to the first option except that the boxes to check and choices to make
are pitched to the desired activity.

·Submit
a "Design Proposal Request,"
answering more pointed general questions [e.g., "Are
there any features that you like (or dislike) on other packs that you have
owned, used, or seen?"] and identifying gear he or she'd like to carry and
sports for which the pack will be used.

·Telephone
Ron or his staff to discuss particular
requirements and preferences.

R2
may prefer this last choice, for a phone call with Ron was a critical step in
designing my pack. Shortly after I was selected for this test Ron emailed me,
asking to arrange a telephone interview to discuss my objectives.Ron's offering to make the call to save me
long distance charges or mobile minutes, and offering times as late as 8 pm
Colorado time to avoid interfering with my day job, were my first indications
that I was dealing with a customer-friendly manufacturer.I had previously exchanged emails with Ron
and sent him a copy of my test application, stating in both that I wanted a
pack designed for hut-to-hut backcountry skiing and indicating some of the
features that I thought appropriate.

Ron
and I spent at least forty minutes on that first phone conversation.He first asked what packs I now used for
hiking and skiing, what I liked and disliked about each, and inquired about
particular gear items I carried.Ron
then pursued some of my preferences, making suggestions and inquiring about my
typical backcountry ski days.Some of
our discussion was quite detailed, for example his asking for the particular
size and type of shovel I carried, how I carried my skis, how I carried water,
and the terrain and conditions I favored.We also discussed various design aspects, including several not on the
website questionnaires: webbing size, clip and zipper choices, frame design and
construction, to name a few.Ron takes a
special interest in ski packs, which are featured in the photographs on R2's
website and make up two of the three available templates.

We
followed this conversation up with email correspondence about a few details,
including confirming the torso measurement I had submitted and providing my
waist size.For several reasons (my
vacation, Ron's "field testing" [backpacking], and informal agreement
among the testers that mine would be done last, to get some ski time into the
test period) Ron and I delayed the project until late August, when we had
another lengthy conversation about pack features. Ron's initial "Design
Proposal" arrived three business days later.

The
proposal I received is similar to the sample available for viewing on the
website - seven pages of proposed features, fabrics, options, and suggestions,
complete with sketches.From this and my
earlier correspondence I learned that available options aren't always limited
to those posted on the website.Ron
suggested a 3500 cubic inch (57 liter) pack, a bit larger than any noted in the
design lab.Ski packs should be made in
a bright color, the better to spot quickly (hopefully with skier still
attached) in case of an avalanche.Ron
checked with one of his suppliers and suggested a color, gold, that wasn't
listed.(Thank goodness  the only
bright colors listed for my fabric choice were light pink and blaze
orange.No respectable male tele skier 
certainly not this one - would be caught on a double black diamond run with
either of those.)Ron's proposal for
water storage, discussed below, can't be found on the website.

The
Design Proposal served two purposes.I
got a sense for the look and feel of my pack, and it gave me another chance to
see if there was anything special I wanted.Ron and I spoke once again, agreeing on a few minor changes to Ron's
proposal and settling on final details such as hardware (buckles, webbing,
zippers) sizes and types.After another
phone conversation I received a new, final Design Packet, which I
approved.

The
Design Proposal is a customer's first glimpse of a pack's price.As a tester my pack was built and furnished
without charge.A paying customer would
provide a credit card with final approval of the Design Proposal, which R2
charges when it ships the pack.My
Telemaster (a name I chose) priced at $407 US, not including shipping.

During
the design process Ron's attention to detail and knowledge of backcountry
skiing gear were remarkable.Once we'd
agreed on a ski touring pack his questions became more and more focused on what
I usually carried (down to particular brands and the width of my skis), where I
liked to travel, skiing style, and backcountry preferences.This approach meant more than a reassurance
that my custom tailor knew what he was doing.Ron likes what he is doing and his
enthusiasm is contagious.He gave the
impression that he enjoyed working to design my pack as much as I did.

The
Telemaster arrived two weeks after my approval of the final Design Packet.It would have been sooner except that one of
Ron's sewing machines required repair, a fact of which he notified me promptly
by email.Throughout the design process
Ron regularly inquired if I needed the pack for a particular excursion,
offering to expedite his work to match my schedule.As I said, a customer-friendly manufacturer.

The
Telemaster.When hut-to-hut skiing I wear or carry ski
clothes, hut clothes, climbing skins, shovel, probe, avalanche beacon, small
ski repair kit, food and water, toilet kit, fire starter, sleeping bag, and pad
 almost a full winter backpacking kit except no tent, and not by any means a
minimalist load.That means at least a
medium-sized pack.Some options and the
reasons I chose them include:

ITEM

My choice

Reasons

Pack
style

Top
loader

Simplicity.
What I'm used to. Reduce the number of zippers.

Size

3500
ci/ 57 L

As
large as possible. Not coincidentally this size fills a gap in my packs
between day and expedition packs. The Design Proposal states a thirty-pound
(13.6 kg) capacity.

Main
fabric

1000
denier Cordura

The
heaviest and toughest fabric available from R2, needed for the
winter equivalent of bushwhacking.I
don't want to worry about rips in my pack when I'm ripping down the
hill.Some of the features are made of
Spandura (a Cordura-Spandex hybrid) and others of 200 d Cordura.

Colors

Gold,
with some features in dark blue.Spandura portions in black.

For
visibility.

Frame

Removable
corrugated plastic frame sheet

To
help with the large load.

Hip
belt

Unpadded
fabric wings

For
stability and better load transfer. No padding needed since extra clothing
layers worn in winter will provide it.

Sewn-in
pockets

For
camera, sunscreen, lip balm, snacks, and other things I can grab without
having to remove the pack.Something I
requested from the design menu because I like this feature on another pack
that I own.

Top

Anchored
top pocket

I
like a separate spot for medium-sized things needed quickly. This will always
be filled.To give an idea of Ron's
level of detail, he asked how large I wanted this to be.It's small because that's what I requested,
to reduce flopping about when the pack's not full.

Front
panel

Kango
pocket

For
my shovel blade in winter or rain jacket in warmer temps.Note that the kango includes a separate
zippered pocket on the front.

Fabric
tube

For
shovel shaft in winter, fly rod in summer.Ron recommended that this be sewn inside the kango pocket for better
protection against losing either in a fall than from an elastic pocket on one
side.

Stowable
ski loop

At
the bottom right, for carrying my skis diagonally across by pack when boot
packing.I prefer this to an
"A-frame" mode using side pockets.The loop works with my snowshoes too. I can stow the loop in a small
pocket when I use this pack in the summer to avoid its catching on anything.

Double
compression straps

In
addition to general compression, the upper straps assist in carrying skis, as
shown in the photo above.

Interior

Zippered
pocket.

Two
uses: For something that I want to know exactly where it is in my pack, such
as an avalanche probe.Or for items I won't
use much in the backcountry but can't afford to lose, such as keys, wallet,
and passport.Another feature
"borrowed" from another pack I own.

I've
lost too many water bottles stashed in elastic-topped pockets.Reduces the possibility of freezing.Not in the feature list in the design lab
but added after discussion with Ron.

Side
panels left and right

Auxiliary
quick release buckles, for cinching off the compression straps.Could be used to lash something to the side
of the pack.

We
designed the pack with storage concentrated on the front and minimal features
on the sides, to reduce direct exposure of items stowed on the outside of the
pack to foreign obstacles.This reduces
the risk of a skier's yard sale in a fall, when everything from helmet to water
bottles can scatter in the snow.More
importantly, snags on tree branches or rocks can cause a fall, shoulder
separation, or other grievous bodily harm.

Another
design consideration was pack width.We
tried to add capacity by making the pack a bit longer rather than wider.When the pack's completely stuffed I'll have to
take the pack off to ride a ski lift, but maybe not if it's packed only for an
in-bounds day.I may be able to keep it
slim enough so that I can sit comfortably wearing the pack rather than holding
it in my lap.

Note
that I used "we" in these two paragraphs  I truly look on the design
process as a joint effort.

THE
PACK ARRIVES

The
photo at left is of my Telemaster just out of the shipping box.The one at the top shows the pack with gear
inside and my skis attached.

The
pack weighed in at 3 lb 7 oz (1.6 kg).Dimensions are 31 x 14 x 9.7 in (79 x 36 x 25 cm), width measured with
the pack full but not overstuffed.I
tried it on and with minor tweaking of the shoulder straps the Telemaster fit
perfectly out of the box.Testing will
determine if it's comfortable on the trail and the ski hill.

As
agreed in the Design Proposal all zippers are waterproof.All webbing except the hip belt is one inch
(2.5 cm) wide.The hip belt webbing is
1.5 inches (4 cm) wide and has a quick release buckle and sliders to adjust the
belt to fit over different clothing combinations.

All
sewing and seams are neatly done, with no visible loose threads on the inside
or the outside of the pack.As may be
seen in the photo R2's logo is embroidered on the center of the top
section.

Overall
the pack looked like what I was expecting from the Design Proposal, though
there were a few pleasant surprises.The
single storage compartment of the pack bag has an apron that I can cinch with a
toggle.The hydration system includes a tube
of insulating material that will serve as a sleeve for the tube on my water
bladder.It's wide enough so that I can
thread the tube through without removing the elbow and bite valves  much
easier to install than the neoprene sleeve accessory for my Playpus or
Camelbak.While I'll likely have the
neoprene on through the winter, this will provide additional insulation, and
should come in particularly handy when using the pack in shoulder seasons when
I meet a cold snap.I also learned what
a "key loop and mitten clip" (listed on the Design Proposal) is - a
small fabric loop with a clip similar to those found on ski gloves to permit
clipping the gloves together.My pack
has one inside the left side water bottle pocket and another at the top of the
main compartment.These should come in
very handy for keeping small loose objects (knife, ski wax scraping tool) from
getting "lost" at the bottom of a large compartment.

TESTING

Snow
gods willing, the four-month test period should include some backcountry turns
and tours.I plan to repeat the Steep
& Deep clinic in Jackson, Wyoming in mid-January and will try to add some
yurt or hut overnights to this trip.The
pack won't sit idly in the closet waiting for the snow to fall, however.This pack is sized just right for my style of
overnight or two-night trip and I'm looking forward to wearing it on backpacks
in the Texas Hill Country and the Rockies this autumn.

This
concludes my Initial Report.Check back
in December for my Field Report.I thank
BackpackGearTest.org and R2 for the opportunity to design and test
this pack.

Field ReportJanuary 2, 2008

The
Telemaster has been day hiking, backpacking, and skiing with me during the last
two months.

FIELD CONDITIONS

Shortly
after I received the pack I wore it on a day hike on the Katy Trail in Dallas,
about five miles of more or less flat, paved terrain, on a typical sunny
October day in North Texas, 85 F (29 C) and low humidity.The day after Thanksgiving (November 23) I wore
it in cooler temperatures, about 40 F (5 C) and windy, as I wandered through
the Bachman Nature Area, a small Dallas city park adjacent to my home.Each time I had stowed in the main pack bag a
rain jacket and pants, lunch, 2+ liter/quart water bladder, extra shirt for
after the hike, and my Jetboil PCS.I
also carried a bottle of wine for lunch on the Katy Trail and a wool sweater on
the second trip.I wore the pack over a cotton
tee on the first hike, over a mid-weight merino long sleeved shirt on the
second.

In
mid-November I did a three-day, two-night backpack on the Oklahoma section of
the Ouachita Trail, from Pashubbe trailhead to the Arkansas state line,
starting at about 1000 ft (300 m) with a net 1200 ft (350 m) elevation gain
over fourteen miles (22 km).It was
overcast the entire time in camp and on the trail, with occasional pockets of
ground fog.Also it was warm and humid,
up to 80 F (27 C) during the day and not much below 60 F (16 C) at night.During all hiking I wore the pack over a
merino t-shirt.My pack weight on this
trip, including food but not water, was just under twenty-five pounds (11
kg).All my kit was inside the pack
except for three items: my rain jacket, which I stashed in the kango pocket;
Zip-Lock with TP and trowel, which went inside the zippered pocket on the
outside of the kango; and water shoes, strapped on the lower side compression
straps.I carried a 2+ liter/quart water
bladder in the hydration pocket and a one liter/quart SIGG bottle of water in
the side panel pocket.

An
air fare sale gave me a chance to warm up my ski legs on a weekend jaunt to
Grand Targhee resort, just west of the Tetons in Wyoming, in mid-December.The resort base is at 8000 feet (2500 m).Both ski days were overcast and windy, with
snow flurries throughout the day, and temperatures from 4 to 18 F (-16 to -8 C)
at the ski area base, definitely colder on top.In my Telemaster I carried a down vest in a compression sack, cashmere
watch cap (for breaks  inbounds I ski with a helmet), and spare glove liners
in the main pack bag; 2+ liter/quart Platypus water bladder in the hydration
sleeve; climbing skins and tool kit in the top pocket; an 0.75 liter/quart
thermos of tea in the zippered pocket; shovel in the kango pocket; and sunblock,
small packet of Clif bars in a Zip-Lock, lip gloss, pocket knife, and headlamp
in the hip belt pockets.The pack fit
snugly over a merino base layer shirt, ultralight down parka, and soft shell
top.Targhee is a wide-open ski hill
with no real distinction between named runs and the spaces between them.Though the resort boundaries are clearly
marked, adjacent backcountry options beckon, and most of the in-bounds skiing
has a backcountry flavor to it.While
most of my skiing was inbounds, I did plenty of hiking to get to the powder
stash at the far north of the area.I
crossed the area boundary once, to boot pack to the notch on Peaked Mountain
just below Mary's Nipple.

Just
after Christmas I went back to Wyoming for a three-day, two-night backcountry tour
in the Targhee National Forest.Under
snowy skies with temperatures at 8 F/-13 C we began with a 4 mile (7 km) ski up
a skin track, with a 1200 vertical foot (365 m) elevation gain (1000 ft/305 m
in the last mile), from the trailhead near Driggs, Idaho to the Commissary
Ridge yurt at 8000 feet (2500 m).This
yurt sits on an open face of the ridge with a spectacular view of all three
Tetons, weather permitting (which it didn't during this trip), but requires uphill
hikes of 2-3 miles (3-5 kg) to reach the better ski runs on Beard's Mountain
across the valley.After lunch at the
yurt we hiked up the ridge for an afternoon powder run, and then hiked back up
to the yurt.Conditions deteriorated the
following day, to the point where it was blowing a gale at the top of the ridge
(about 9200 ft/2800 m) by mid-afternoon, with temperatures at 1 F/-17 C and
falling.Nasty hiking weather but a
major contribution to the snowpack, making for exhilarating downhill skiing! The
storm passed through Saturday night, giving us a mostly sunny, mostly windless
day for some truly spectacular powder skiing  three feet (~1 m) of untracked
cold smoke in spots on Sunday's long downhill run.

Pack
contents on the hike in (and ski out) were similar to the in-bounds ski trip, with
lunch and the following gear added: mukluks, trousers, underwear, and shirt for
the yurt; two extra pairs of socks; spare set of base layer top and bottom;
paperback book; and map.(Sleeping bags
and food had been cached at the yurt.)Altogether about 30 lb/14 kg including water, tea, and food, and enough
room to spare for a stove and sleeping bag had I needed them.After reaching the yurt I stashed my yurt
clothes and jettisoned my water bladder, which had frozen, reducing weight to
about 15 lb/7 kg.While hiking I wore a
lightweight merino top under an insulated ski parka, adding a second merino
layer on the frigid day, and also adding my ultralight down parka at rest stops
or when skiing downhill.

OBSERVATIONS
AND OPINIONS

Hiking.The day hikes allowed me to test the efficacy
of various pack features.Total pack
weight on the day hikes, water included, didn't exceed fifteen pounds (7 kg),
so while not a true test for weight transfer I did get the feel of the pack on
my shoulders on the trail. The pack fit
perfectly and was quite comfortable with the frame sheet.I had adjusted the shoulder straps slightly
at home for the proper fit, and I didn't need to fiddle with them at all on my
hikes.I had no chafing at the shoulders
or the hips.

I
quickly came to appreciate two features particularly.The compression straps shone, letting me use
about half (at most) of a 3500 ci/57 liter pack without having anything
flopping around inside.I kept the
straps clipped on the sides of the pack (you will note in my Initial Report
that they can also be strapped across the front) and pulled the straps through
until I had compressed the pack bag.My
small load was similar in volume to what I expect to carry when skiing inbounds,
and the pack appeared to be narrow enough so that had I been skiing I could
have worn it on a lift.

The
real stick-out feature was the hip belt pockets.These have about twice the capacity of the
ones on my other pack, which was what prompted me to order them from R2,The Telemaster's are large enough to keep
snacks, hyponic tablets, water treatment, pocket knife, head lamp, camera,
ibuprofen, bug dope, and sunscreen safely stowed yet ready to hand without
having to take off my pack.

The
hydration sleeve and port worked just as they should, without any difficulty in
threading the hose and valve through the port; a 2+ liter/quart bladder fits
snugly in the sleeve.I used the
zippered pocket on the left side for my rain pants and spare pair of socks, two
items I didn't expect to use but always take, instead of an extra water
bottle.

In
designing a ski pack I just may have found the ideal pack for one- and
two-night backpacking trips.Great
results in Oklahoma: the fit is terrific, its capacity is just right for my
non-ultralight solo kit, and the frame sheet provides ample support for a
thirty-pound (14 kg) load and keeps the back rigid on my back, like I'm wearing
rather than carrying it.I was
thoroughly comfortable all day, uphill and down, without any incidents of the
pack pulling back from my shoulders on any of the uphill sections.The only tweaking needed on the trail was
raising the sternum strap for a more comfortable fit.The shoulder straps may be set a bit too far
apart for use without a sweater or ski jacket, when cinched down the sternum
strap pinched them inward, but this didn't cause any abrasion at the shoulders
or chest.As on the day hikes the
compression straps kept the pack load  almost but not quite full  nicely compact.I didn't miss the lack of padding on the hip
belt; no abrasion there either.All in
all a very promising backcountry beginning for the Telemaster.

Based
on this trip I believe that R2's suggested 30-pound (14 kg) weight
limit is conservative.With three kilos (6.6
lb) of water my pack weight exceeded that, and there was certainly room for
more gear inside or strapped to the pack.

Ski touring.I designed the Telemaster primarily for
skiing, and in that category I haven't been disappointed.On the in-bounds days the compression straps
kept the pack narrow enough so that I didn't have to take it off to ride the
lift, and kept the contents from bouncing around.Probably because of the additional layers
that I wore when skiing I didn't encounter any pinching of the shoulder
straps.The fit was such that I
sometimes forgot I was wearing a pack at all.The ski loop and top compression straps held my skis firmly in place
while boot packing, and the loop was easy to re-stow at the top of the
hill.I found another mini-feature very
useful for skiing  a shovel handle strap.This small item is a hook-and-loop fastener with a quick-release buckle
that fits over the shovel handle to secure it to the compression strap.Without the fastener there's a danger of the
handle's coming loose after opening and re-closing the compression strap.There is also a tube sewn at the bottom of
the front panel, inside the kango pocket, to hold the shovel shaft in place.While day skiing the insulating sleeve for
the water spout did its work and I wasn't left with a frozen valve, but without
warming breaks I wound up carrying some ice in the backcountry.A liter/quart Nalgene in a cozy inside the
side pocket remained liquid, however.The compression straps let me expand or contract the pack contents
easily and effectively.

Inbounds
and backcountry ski hills have many obstacles this early in the Rockies' ski
season, so the sturdy Cordura fabric took some serious punishment from pines
and willows throughout the backcountry tour.Many willows on Beard's hadn't yet been covered, scraping pack and skier
on most of the descents.The snow was so
good and I liked a new pair of powder skis so much that once or twice I made
the Douglas firs and lodgepole pines into slalom gates on a couple of
runs.No rents or rips, not even a mark,
and all stitching remains sound.

Problem.Only one so far  each clip on the sternum
strap has on two occasions worked itself loose.The first time this happened, as noted below, I lost the clip, but I was
able to find it in the snow.I'm going
to talk to Ron about this, as adjustment is required during ski touring when
stowing climbing skins inside my jacket, giving me a much wider silhouette.

I've
yet to discover a consistently reliable means of using a bladder system in
really cold temperatures, so I do not consider the freezing of my hydration
bladder and spout to be a failure of the added pack sleeve.In fact I was rather surprised that I didn't
have a freeze-up when skiing inbounds.

SUMMARY

A
number of overview comments are in order.

First,
as with custom clothes a precise fit is the best thing about a custom
pack.That's what I received from R2:
just right at the waist, shoulders, torso length, and across the chest.The Telemaster fits me better than any other
framed pack that I have ever worn.Had I
been purchasing this pack, this fact alone would have justified in my mind the
price premium for bespoke tailoring.

I
have been consistently impressed with small details on this pack, like the
oversized hip belt pockets, shovel handle top, shovel handle tube, and mitten
clips.The smallish top section of the
pack is another.It's large enough for a
rain jacket and lunch and not much more.That way it can always be full and thus not flopping about on top.That feature was something I ordered
specifically.I ordered some of the
others too, or knew from the Design Proposal that they were included, but I
didn't anticipate all their fine points.Then again, with Ron's expertise so apparent during the design process
perhaps I should have.

I've
made use of and liked almost all of the features on the pack.All do effectively what they are supposed to
do.I rate the hip belt pockets, bottle
pocket, and dual-function kango pocket as near-genius.

Another
benefit of custom design is what's not there.I haven't had to deal with an idiosyncrasy for which I have no use,
extra straps, flavor-of-the month bells and whistles, or downright unwanted
features that can come along with a pack or other product I otherwise
liked.I've never had much use for daisy
chains and tool loops, for example, and extra straps for super-fine tuning
always seem to snag on something while adding little functionality.Fewer such superfluities mean less weight,
fewer ways to get in trouble, and much less frustration.

R2's
customer service doesn't end with delivery of the pack.While adjusting the sternum strap on my
backpack I inadvertently loosened the female clip from its place on the pack
strap.When I set the pack down at a
rest stop the clip came off, and I couldn't find it among the leaves on the
forest floor.(Note that I am not
wearing a sternum strap in the backpacking photo above.)I notified Ron and received a new one in a
few days.I've communicated with Ron by
email about several features and issues, and he's prompt in replying with
informative answers.

I
hope it's obvious from this report that I'm exceptionally pleased with my
Telemaster.I can't think of anything
don't like or might change if I were starting to design the pack after two
months' good use.

This
concludes my Field Report.Check back in
two months for my final field observations.Thanks again to BackpackGearTest.org and R2 Custom Packs for
the testing opportunity.

Long Term ReportMarch
2, 2008

FIELD CONDITIONS

Skiing.The Telemaster accompanied me on two more two
ski trips during the past two months: a week's vacation in mid-January at
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, including the ski school's four-day Steep &
Deep clinic, and three days at the Second Annual Cold Smoke Powder Fest at
Whitewater Ski Area, near Nelson, British Columbia, Canada in late
February.

Jackson's
base is about 6300 feet (1900 m), with more than 4000 foot (1200 m) vertical
rise to the top of Rendezvous Peak.I
spent one day in the Jackson area backcountry, one day inbounds at Grand
Targhee, and five days mostly inbounds at Jackson Hole.As at Grand Targhee (see my Field Report)
skiing at Jackson includes a fair amount of hiking and traversing to access
preferred runs, even inbounds.I wore
the Telemaster every day but one.Temperatures ranged from 8-25 F (-13 to -4 C), with snow showers or a
full-blown storm most of the time.

Conditions
were quite different at Whitewater, very much spring skiing despite its still
being February.Overcast with occasional
patches of sun on Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures posted at -5 C (23 F)
in the morning, rising to 2 C (36 F) by mid-afternoon, followed by a sunny
Monday with temperatures about 5 degrees C (9 degrees F) warmer.Whitewater's base sits at 5400 feet (1700 m),
rising to about 6700 feet (2100 m).The
Cold Smoke festival celebrates backcountry skiing and its devotees, so skiing
programs tended to focus on hiking for one's turns.I wore the Telemaster on both my backcountry
days, carrying my lunch, a small stove, water, and day-touring essentials.

Backpacking.Ski time has limited my backpacking over the
past two months, but I did take the Telemaster on a two-day backpack fishing
trip to Oklahoma in early February.This
trip involved a hike of less than two miles with a small elevation gain; we'd
selected our campsite for fishing access rather than exercise or scenery.Temperatures were in the 60s F (16-21 C)
during the day, dropping to about 40 F (5 C) at night  not unlike late
spring/early summer conditions on Montana spring creeks.This trip gave me an opportunity to try my
pack with the kit I usually take on backcountry fishing trips.In addition to clothes, sleeping gear, stove,
and food I included fly rod, reel, and my summer tackle box with flies, lines,
tippet, and other small fly fishing items.That kit doesn't usually include waders, but with the cooler weather and
frigid water below the dam at Broken Bow I needed them on this trip.I carried them rolled up under the lid of the
pack using the straps that secure the lid to hold them in place.Before leaving I experimented with different
places for the reel and tackle box, eventually stuffing both into the main pack
bag.I used the compression straps across
the front of the pack to secure my sleeping pad.

All
told, the Telemaster has been on my back five backpacking days and thirteen ski
days during the four-month test period.

OBSERVATIONS

Customer
Service.Let me begin with an update on the sternum strap
issue discussed in my Field Report.After another mishap at Jackson when I stripped off the pack, this time
with the clip on the right shoulder strap webbing (the one attached to the
sternum strap itself), I did some minor tweaking to ensure that both edges of
the webbing were fully inside the two clips.From this point forward I didn't have either clip come off despite
skiing as rigorously as before and not taking especial pains to check the clips
every time I shouldered or unshouldered the pack.I now think that I may have been a bit
careless when moving the clips along the webbing, forcing the webbing to jam
out at one side or the other.This might
also have been caused by adding and subtracting layers.The shoulder straps are (quite properly for a
ski pack) sized so that they sit along the sides of my chest when I wear the
pack over my usual winter three upper body layers.As noted in my Field Report the straps can
pinch in somewhat when I tighten the sternum strap after taking off a layer to
begin a hike or when backpacking without a parka.This can cause the webbing to bunch up
slightly, increasing the risk that one edge will become dislodged.

Ron
and I traded emails on this subject, and the only fix that either of us could
devise was to replace the removable webbing clips with similar clips that are
sewn in, with a solid bar across the strap instead of one with spaces for
threading.This would necessitate
removing and then re-sewing the webbing to the straps, something I'm not
capable of doing myself.After the test
period I may send the pack to Ron for this corrective surgery, as I don't want
to be without the pack until I shelve my skis for the season.

Ron's
advice was prompt and helpful throughout the test period, on this issue and in
replying to various questions I had about different features.I repeat my judgment from my Initial Report:
this is a very customer-friendly manufacturer.

I've
had no other design issues with the Telemaster.Performance during the past two months has been as exemplary as during
the Field Testing period.I replaced the
hip belt buckle after breaking the one supplied with the pack, but the break
was caused by my own carelessness, not a defective buckle from R2.

Bonus
points.Two more months' experience has taught me
more about my pack.I'm becoming used to
skiing with this pack to the point where I really don't notice I'm wearing it,
thanks to the great fit.I've found
several more uses for the mitten clip in the water bottle pocket.At various times I've hung a wax scraper,
sunglasses case, blister kit, small flashlight, ski repair tool, and ski
leashes from it  anything that's small and that I want to know just where it
is.The clip, which adds almost no
weight, keeps any of these little devils from getting "lost" at the
bottom among other gear.The mitten
clips even work for mittens aprθs ski or
when it's warm enough to hike in lighter gloves.

Lunch
fits easily into the zippered pocket on the outside of the kango pouch, or in
the top pocket.The compression straps
work well when strapped to the sides when my pack's not overly full or across
the front when it is.I'm adding this
dual system to the features I listed in my Field Report as near-genius.The side pocket is large enough for both a
one-quart/liter water bottle and my backcountry tackle box, or my 1.5 l/1.6 qt
SIGG bottle.The zippered inside pocket
lets me stow keys and wallet in a zippered pocket throughout a hike or
ski.Or I can use this for my fly reel.The reel also fits in the zippered pocket on
the front of the kango.When the pack
bag is full it's easy to store a rolled-up parka under the straps used to hold
the lid in place, in a manner similar to that used for my waders.

The
fabric tube and kango pocket have kept my shovel handle and blade safely tucked
away with no risk of being strewn all over the slope in a yard sale, yet
immediately ready to hand when needed.My fly rod, in either its factory metal tube or a lighter weight plastic
one) fits inside the fabric tube, though that isn't really necessary.The elastic on the kango keeps it in place
and there's little chance of a ski-like fall when I'm not skiing downhill.In the tube or not, there's still room in the
pocket for a rain jacket.

Durability.In a word, superlative.I ski aggressively and the great snow
conditions this winter have allowed me to indulge my passion for tree skiing,
where the Telemaster has scraped many willows, pines, and spruces.It kissed a rock or two on Meet Your Maker, a
boulder-lined chute at Jackson.The
fabric has picked up a smudge or two but otherwise the pack looks none the
worse for wear.I've had no water seep
inside the pack and never had the fabric wet out from melting of snow or ice
accumulated during skiing.I do plan to
treat the pack with Atsko Water-Guard after the test period, strictly as
preventive maintenance.No stitching or
webbing has frayed and the pack's integrity remains sound.1000 d Cordura is tough stuff and this is a
tough pack that I expect to use for many years.

RECOMMENDATIONS

These
aren't recommendations for improving my pack.That's pointless when each R2 pack is custom-designed and
I've already said how little I'd change mine if starting over.Rather I offer a few suggestions to any
reader who is considering ordering a pack from R2.

·Repeating what I said in
my Field Report, in my judgment the guarantied fit of a custom pack alone is
worth R2's price premium over an off-the-shelf model.Getting exactly the features I wanted only
makes the bargain better.

·Consider a custom pack an
investment.I rate my pack second only
to boots in importance among my backpacking kit and clothing.To me it's worth the extra time, effort, and
money to get just what I want.Spread
over the pack's anticipated life span the price premium is small indeed.

·Do your homework
first.Consider both the big picture 
why you want a new pack  and the details.Really consider likes and dislikes from other packs you own or have
seen, or what you'd like to have and what you'd prefer to avoid.

·Use your imagination.Remember that a custom pack from R2
is limited only by the customer's desires, vision, and ingenuity, and the
materials that are available just about anywhere packs are made.Not choosing from a set menu is one of the
best things about R2.If Ron
doesn't have something, he'll look for it.This also allows fine tuning a pack for one particular activity, as I
did for skiing.

·Don't be disappointed if
you forgot something, even after the pack arrives.Ron may be able to add it (or if it's now
unwanted, subtract it) and he's only too glad to help whenever and however he
can.You'll never think of everything.I didn't; I'm going to inquire if there's a
way to add a static cord compression system to the right side panel that can be
removed in winter.

I'll
be wearing the Telemaster whenever I go backcountry skiing or ski touring, even
just for the day.Great fit, tough,
versatile, and functional, it's exactly what I hoped for when I selected that
as its principal use.

Backpacking
use, particularly for fishing trips, wasn't ignored during the design process,
so I'm not surprised that the pack has worked so well for me even when there's
been no snow.It's not perfect as a
summer pack, as I'd like a few more pockets or other means of carrying extra
gear, and the Cordura makes it as heavy as the next-larger pack in my closet,
which has about fifty per cent more capacity.These are nitpicks; I plan to put it to many years' future use when I
don't need to size up.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
and THANKS

This
concludes my Test Report.I owe special
thanks to R2 Custom Packs and BackpackGearTest.org for this test,
the most enjoyable one in which I have participated for
BackpackGearTest.org.Not only did I test
a great piece of gear, the design process and subsequent communications with
Ron were pleasant and informative.I
learned much about pack fabrics and construction, and I made a new friend.I certainly know whom to call the next time I
need a new pack.

Product tested and reviewed in each Formal Test Report has been provided free of charge by the manufacturer to BackpackGearTest.org. Upon completion of the Test Series the writer is permitted to keep the product. Owner Reviews are based on product owned by the reviewer personally unless otherwise noted.